Christmas Eve

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

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Finishing Off

• A necklace with an old photo of my Granny.

• Home made crackers, with hat, snap, gift and VERY bad jokes inside

• And a little blue pointy hat with a bell, in the style of a much beloved Enid Blyton CHARACTER

(Its blue-er in real life)

And that, as they say, is all folks. I am done and dusted with the gift making, and just in the nick of time, whew.

Yule

The Shortest Day

So the shortest day came, and the year died,
And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
Came people singing, dancing,
To drive the dark away.
They lighted candles in the winter trees;
They hung their homes with evergreen;
They burned beseeching fires all night long
To keep the year alive,
And when the new year's sunshine blazed awake
They shouted, reveling.
Through all the frosty ages you can hear them
Echoing behind us - Listen!!
All the long echoes sing the same delight,
This shortest day,
As promise wakens in the sleeping land:
They carol, fest, give thanks,
And dearly love their friends,
And hope for peace.
And so do we, here, now,
This year and every year.
Welcome Yule

by Susan Cooper

Too Many Tasks

When I woke up yesterday I had a mental list of all the things still needing done before the weekend and the list was huge. Finish making presents, finish buying presents, wrap the already bought and made presents, finish posting Christmas Cards and send one parcel. Check the glasses and cutlery for Christmas day. Go over and amend the grocery list, shop for the grocery list, buy trinkets to put in the crackers, make the crackers, do the banking, cook some food for dinners, clean the house from top to bottom and on and on and on.

Quite frankly on a cold wet Monday I found the whole thing far too overwhelming. So Oscar and I played with the Winter table instead.

Duncan thinks my 'old father winter' looks like a yeti so perhaps I will have to put off my million tasks and make another one? Ok, so maybe not.

I was very tired all day but after dinner, Oscar went to bed early (for him), because he fell asleep sitting beside me on the sofa at 7.30pm, so I found the last push of energy and finished these.

The owl hat only needed one ear stitched on and the beak knitted. The grey beanie needed the ends sewn in, the bow scarf needed the second bow end finished and the ends sewn in and the slouch hat needed sewn up and the ends sewn in. All in all it was only a couple of hours work and so worth the effort because that's 4 things ready for wrapping. Duncan used the time to fill my teacups with candle wax and tidy up a bit (pictures of the cup-candles to follow when they are done).

Today Oscar and I are going into town to finish the shopping and do the banking, and the groceries are being delivered on Thursday morning. We are getting there, slowly but surely, we are getting there.

Family Day

Yesterday (Sunday) was my Mum's birthday and also the Family Christmas Service at church. Duncan is not a church go-er in any manner, however he very kindly agreed to accompany me to the family service. The primary reason being our uncertainty that Oscar would be suitably amused through a one and a half hour service. If Duncan was with me it meant two sets of arms to go between and also Daddy could pop outside for a respite with him and Mummy wouldn't miss the service.

As it turned out he was very much entertained for most of it, with only one toilet trip and one 5 minute breather during a long lull in the music. The church is what Duncan would affectionately call a 'happy clappy' church, which just so happens to appeal ever so much to little children (standing on a pew singing his heart out and dancing and jumping, whats not to like?).

After church we walked into town to catch a bus to my Mum's house. It is quite a walk for little 2 year old legs, but luckily there are some pretty good walls along the way.

We spent the afternoon with my Mum (and my brother and sister and niece and nephew), and Oscar had a marvelous time. That little boy is never happier than when he is in the midst of his family.

Happy Birthday Mum

End Of The Week - Aaah

Today has been another pleasant day, and I have to admit that despite some (seasonal) financial worries, the atmosphere in the house has definitely lifted quite a bit. I am not sure what the reason for this is, maybe it is the spirit of Christmas (something I previously thought was my Grandad's malt whiskey lol).

Oscar and I were off into town by 9.30am and after some errands we met up with my Mum. We used to go shopping every Friday with her, but Oscar's tolerance to shopping in town is extremely low these days. It must run in the family though because my sister reminded me recently that she didn't take my niece into town for roughly 3 years (aged 3 to 6-ish).

Today Oscar was exceptionaly well behaved and not whiney at all. We let him free from the pushchair after we stopped for a coffee and he walked very nicely until we caught the bus home. We did manage a wee vistit to the Grotto though.

As for the big man himself, I am afraid Oscar developed a case of acute shyness and would nt say a word, or in fact get any closer than 2 feet to him. He did wave goodbye though, clutching his present at the same time.

The present incidentally consisted of a car made out of click together bricks which I though was great, and a Fireman Sam reward/behavior chart, not so great. I told Oscar it was a sticker book since he wouldn't be parted from it and we all now have gold stars about our persons.

Oscar was dozing in the pushchair on the bus home, but I lifted him out and cajoled him awake. Cruel perhaps, but the little man needs to get his sleeping pattern back on track, for his own sake more than ours.

I did treat him to the largest chocolate coin in the world though, slight exhaggeration, (watch out for a post in January about getting our eating habits back on track).

Daddy came home unexpectedly early which rounded off the end of the week rather nicely.

A tiny 'den' made from Oscars 2 'sookie' blankets and the stool. I don't think Daddy quite fits inside.

And then they made pizza together for dinner, yum.

Oscar likes to do his own.

Have A Lovely Weekend

No Drama

Well, yesterday didn't go as badly as expected. I do worry when I am very very overtired, its not something I cope with very well. In the past I have mistook tiredness for actual illness it affects me so badly, and I have been known to weep all day on and off due to sheer exhaustion (and wondered if I had depression, when in fact a few days rest sorted it out).

Maybe we were just both too tired to kick up a fuss over anything, but the day went fairly smoothly. And something lovely happened too. When Oscar was a baby he gurgled and cooed and sang and hummed all day long. Then as soon as words formed he stopped singing almost completely. He didn't even like music being played to him and would cry to have it turned off, (probably a bit disappointing for his Papa who was(is), a musician when I met him.

Over the week I have sneaked some Christmas songs on, but only occasionally. Well, yesterday, Oscar spent the whole day singing. With music, without music and making his own music (piano, drum beating, keyboard etc). After a long period of no song it was the cutest thing ever, ever, ever. FYI Duncan sings to him at night and that's ok, but normally he covers your mouth and says 'don't sing' Maybe he only associates it with being put to sleep, I used to sing to him until I was hoarse when he was tiny, Duncan wondered how on earth I knew so many nursery rhymes and lullabies.

All in all, it was a pretty chilled out day. In the afternoon we attempted some paper chains, but it didnt last long.

So we snuggled up on the sofa to watch THE POLAR EXPRESS, one of my own personal Christmas favorites. This didn't last long either and the afternoon nap made a one off appearance again.

I tried a little bit of knitting while Oscar slept but I was going cross-eyed so eventually I gave up and I dozed beside him instead. Then there were 4

We have a busier day ahead of us today, I can only hope it runs as smoothly.